Questions - how and why?

[smileychgo]

Hi again guys -

 

I'm at lost I've been searching this forum for at least two hours and can't find the answers to my questions so I'm hoping someone will be kind enough to help me. i really didn't know where to post this and if it's in the wrong place please move it to the right location for me. Thanks.

 

I'm a newbie trying to learn Linux but it seems to be a bit overwhelming because I'm used to windows. I have some questions that i need the answer to. If the answer is in the forum and I overlooked it, I apologize; but please send me the direct link to it.

 

1) In KDE, why doesn't Kmail/Kontact have an option to autocheck email? i.e., every 10 min. Also I notice when you reply to an email, there's no space to start typing your reply. You have to enter down to insert space because the original message is at the top. Any way around this?

 

2) How do I switch between Gnome and KDE desktops?

 

3) After my screen saver is on for 5-10 min, the screen goes black. Is there a setting to keep this from happening?

 

4) How do I install programs that I downloaded from the internet? i.e., I downloaded an updated version of Evolution (2.2.1.1)

 

5) Are there any updates for Mozilla Firefox? The version I have is 1.0.2. I tried to install AIM and it said my version of the browser was not compatible.

 

6) Which chat clients are compatible with Linux?

 

Thanks in advance to all who respond.

 

Smiley

[zenarcher]

I can help you with a couple of your questions....

 

5) I would tell you that the easiest way to update Firefox to Version 1.0.4 would be to use the RPM install. If you go to http://rpm.pbone.net/index.php3/stat/2/simple/2 you will find that easy to do. Uncheck all the boxes except for Mandrake 10.X (I'm assuming you are using a version of Mandriva)...and enter Firefox in the search. This will bring you to the Firefox RPM's...probably the one you want will be for 10.1. Just download and save to your desktop. My suggestion is to go into your System>Configuration>Packaging>Remove Software.....Search for Firefox and remove the old version. Then, go back to your desktop and click on the RPM you downloaded. It will install automatically for you. There are other ways to do it, but I find this the easiest way and I'm new to Linux.

 

As for your AIM.....Look in your menu for GAIM. You can use GAIM for your AOL IM, I am sure...although I don't use IM...I know this should set up for what you want to do.

 

3) Your question 3.....Go to System>Configuration>KDE>Power Control and make sure Enable Display Power Management is not checked. If it is, uncheck it.

 

I don't want to confuse you with some of the other questions you have, but I'm sure someone will help you real soon.

 

Regards,

zenarcher

 

As for your question 3, I was assuming you are using KDE. I don't know much about GNOME, as I haven't used it.

[Ixthusdan]

#2 Use kdm or gdm and do not use the auto login feature. Then, you will be presented with a choice of whichever wm's are in your system.

 

#4 Use the Mandrake Control Center to install software, or urpmi on the command line. It does it all for you.

[smileychgo]

Hello and thanks for your replies. How do I use urpmi on the command line?

 

Smiley

[heather1113]

For question #1 Kmail does have the option so, click on:

settings -> configure Kmail -> Accounts -> and click on your acct. -> modify -> and about 3/4 of the way down is the check interval time and set it.

 

Also you probably want to make sure "enable system tray" is checked under appearance -> system tray tab so that way it will always be running and will notify you when you have mail (it doesn't take up much resources). You might want to play with the "Configure Notifications" settings you will be amazed by all the options Linux apps give you verses Windows.

 

Regarding urpmi just open a command window Konsole for example -> su to become root -> type in your root password -> and lets say I want the latest firefox I type in urpmi mozilla-firefox -> hit enter and it does everything for you providing you set up your sources.

Edited July 12, 2005 by heather1113

[smileychgo]

Hey Heather - thanks for the informative response. I tried what you said in regards to the urpmi question and it looks like it will work; however, there's a more current version to what I'm wanting to install so that's why i'm trying to install the tar.gz file for it. Do you know what I'm possibly doing wrong?

 

Thanks again,

Smiley

[heather1113]

Yes, you have to set up your sources since they will have more up to date software. Using Mandrake you will almost never have to install anything the hard way (tar.gz) unless you want to when you get more experience. Give me a minute and I will post a step by step to set up your sources.

[Crashdamage]

This seems like a good time to put in my quickie tutorial...

 

**Basic urpmi setup and usage**

 

Urpmi will easily and automagically take care of finding, downloading and installing software and its dependencies, if any. The "Software Management" utility in Mandrake/Mandriva Control Center is a simple to use GUI frontend for urpmi, but it's also very easy to use urpmi from the command line.

 

To set up your online sources for installing/updating software you need to know how to 'su' to root, which is very simple. Just open a terminal and do this:

 

$ su

Password: <type.your.root.password>

#

 

Note that the cursor changed from '$' to '#' indicating you now have 'root' administrator rights, so be careful! If you don't fully understand the 'su' process or root permissions some simple Googling will explain it.

 

Now to setup your online software sources. Go here:

 

http://easyurpmi.zarb.org/

 

or just click on the 'Easy-Urpmi' link at the top right of any page in this forum. Follow the directions to setup your online package sources. Choose them carefully, staying with sources for your particular Mandrake/Mandriva version. You'll probably want to add the main sources for your version, plus updates, the Contrib, the PLF free and non-free, and maybe a few others like the norlug and Thac's rpms sources.

Warning: Add the Cooker sources at your own risk. Cooker is beta stuff still in testing for the next release and may or may not cause you problems. At this writing, Cooker has made some significant changes from 10.1/LE2005 and is more likely to be problematic than usual.

 

When you've finished setting up your source mirrors you can start using the real power of urpmi. You can now install/uninstall a package using your newly-setup online sources either by using the GUI installer in Mandrake Control Center, or better, manually from the command line. To install manually open a terminal, 'su' to root, then type:

 

# urpmi -v <packagename> ('-v' for verbose output is optional, but I like the extra info it provides)

 

Note that usually <packagename> can be just the 'simple' version. Using the email client Mutt for example, instead of typing the full package name:

 

# urpmi -v mutt-1.5.6i-2mdk.i586.rpm

 

Use:

 

# urpmi -v mutt

 

Then urpmi will automagically go to the 'Net sources you choose, find and download the latest available Mutt rpm for your version of Mandrake/Mandriva, grab any other packages needed to resolve all dependencies and install everything in the correct order. If urpmi can't complete the install, either because all the required software isn't available on the source mirrors you choose or possibly some other conflict(s), it will stop the install process before actual changes are made and give you some info about the problem.

 

Similarly, for packages you've downloaded and saved, just navigate to the directory where you saved them:

 

# cd /mysaved/rpm/is.here

 

Then (for this, you may need to use the full packagename):

 

# urpmi -v <packagename>

 

Uninstalling a package is simply 'urpme' instead of 'urpmi'.

 

Be aware that while using rpms compiled for other versions of Mandrake/Mandriva or for other distros sometimes will work fine, they may not and the possibility for problems exists. Think of this as similar to installing Windows software where installing something on Win98 ut meant for XP (or vice-versa) may not work. The software should be compiled for use with the distro and version it's installed on. So always try to use correct rpms for your distro and version whenever possible, which in the case of MDK/MDV is almost always. If you must use a rpm from another version or distro, it may or may not work.

 

But unlike Windows, urpmi allows you to do a 'test' installation instead of having to just try it and see what happens. To do a test install, do this:

 

# urpmi -v --test <packagename>

 

This does a 'dry run' to check if the package(s) can be sucessfully installed but without actually changing anything on the system. If all is well, remove the '--test' switch to install normally.

 

It's important to always install rpm packages (.rpm), not from tarballs (.targz), when using any rpm-based distro like RedHat, Suse or Mandrake. This is also true of '.deb' package based distros such as Debian or Ubuntu. Why? Because if you always install rpms (or .debs), then urpmi (or Suse's YAST, Debian's apt or whatever package manager) is able to properly keep track of everything installed on your system and so keep everything correctly configured and updated. But if you install software from source tarballs no information about that software or the files it installed are entered into the urpmi database. You then have a situation where urpmi cannot properly keep things straight since it has no info about the installed tarballs or their contents. The chances of installing from tarballs breaking anything is fairly slight, but it can happen, so why risk it if you don't have to?

 

Sometimes a particular piece or a newer version of software may only be available as a source tarball. No problem - it's still very easy make your own rpms from source with a handy utility called checkinstall, included on the Mandrake/Mandriva CDs. In a nutshell, checkinstall makes a simple .rpm package by replacing the traditional compile and install commands:

 

./configure

make

make install

 

With:

 

./configure

make

checkinstall

 

I won't go into more detail about checkinstall here. Google for more info about it or install the checkinstall package and type 'man checkinstall'.

 

This should be enough to get you going. For more info, open a terminal and type 'man urpmi" or do some Googling, particularly 'easy urpmi'.

Lotsa info available.

[heather1113]

oops, someone was much faster than me.

Edited July 12, 2005 by heather1113

[smileychgo]

Heather, Crash, Ixt, and Zen:

 

Thanks for so much for the informative response. I think my problem may be solved but don't know for sure yet. I'll post back results after testing.

 

Smiley

[smileychgo]

Ixthusdan,

 

What are wm's and how do I disable the auto login feature?

 

Smiley

[Ixthusdan]

wm's=window managers, of which kde and gnome are two. (there are others)

Go into MCC. In the boot section, uncheck the auto login feature. While you are there, be sure that a package named kdm or gdm is installed. (It doesn't matter which as they both work well.) mdkkdm should have loaded into your system by default, which is Mandriva's customized kdm. When you log out, you should have a login screen that offers choices of wm's that are installed. (I usually have several just to play)

To load gnome, choose gnome on the list, and login.

[smileychgo]

I did what you said and installed the gdm from the MCC. I basically typed that in my search bar and it found whatever packages/files with gdm in it and installed all of them. Now when I logout and log back in, I don't see Gnome as a choice in the drop down box. The options I have are: KDE, ICEWM, Default, and failsafe. Auto login is disabled.

 

Any clues?

 

Smiley

[heather1113]

I hope I am understanding this correctly but gdm is the not Gnome itself basically it makes Gnome (or KDE if you chose that) run. So if you want Gnome, which is on the disks (can be gotten via urpmi or MCC), what you want is Gnome2.

 

Hope that helped and didn't confuse things even more.

Edited July 14, 2005 by heather1113

[Ixthusdan]

gdm=gnome desktop manager of the gnome desktop

kdm=kde desktop manager of the kde desktop

These are programs that can run independently of their perspective desktops and give you a nice gui login. For example, while I use kde most of the time, I prefer gdm rather than kdm. The only way your choices do not show up is if they are not there! Did you have gnome running before? Installing a manager will not affect the desktops you already have installed. If one installs all of gnome, gdm gets installed along with the rest of the window manager. If one installs kde, kdm is also installed along with the rest of the window manager.

 

The word manager gets used in several ways here and could be confusing. A window manager is an entire windowing system of programs. A desktop manager is a specific program gui for login. There is a command line one as well, xstart, that gives one a numeric selection for choosing a window manager.